(semi-) Daily Treatment, Hardball Edition

June 11, 2009

PELOSI PLAYS HARDBALL WITH PUBLIC PLAN OPPONENTS: Via Ryan Grim at Huffington, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House is open to all ideas but that, as a matter of political reality, reform without a public option couldn't pass her chamber because it "wouldn't have the votes." Is that true? I have no idea. But if that's the way Pelosi wants it to be, then I kinda think that's the way it will be.

VOLSKY PLAYS HARDBALL WITH THE A.M.A.: The nation's largest physician organization thinks docs wouldn't do well with a public plan. Over at Wonkroom, Igor Volsky thinks the A.M.A. doesn't know what it's talking about.

LIEBERMAN PLAYS HARDBALL WITH THE A.M.A.--AND LAZY JOURNALISTS: That's Lieberman, as in Trudy, writing at the Columbia Journalism Review's Campaign Desk: "This the same old AMA opposing anything that even
remotely looks, smells, or quacks like an entr